


A single choice

by domake



Category: The Darkest Minds Series - Alexandra Bracken
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hayes is a dork, M/M, Potentially Disturbing Content, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-06-06 00:10:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15182417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/domake/pseuds/domake
Summary: President Gray suspected that his son was as cunning and ruthless as he was. As a result, he decided to take a hostage to ensure his son's compliance in his plans - another test subject by the name of Nico who he knew Clancy is fond of. What are the consequences of this decision on the founding of East River?





	1. Chapter 1

Rain streaked trails of water along the crystal clear window. The pitiful kitten that they picked up mewled at the back seat of the four-wheel drive, its whiskers drooping and its shivering fur dripping wet. Absently, Nico reached over to pick it up and started drying the animal with a rag. 

 

On the streets, sunken faces peered out from underneath flimsy plastic tarp shelters. These hollow shells empty after having witnessed the end of the world that they knew - seeing their neighbours that they used to cheerfully greet every morning and themselves become savage creatures desperate to survive by robbing, stealing, lying. They saw ballot papers be torn up for fuel, banks employ former police officers to protect them against the backlash from the waves of property repossession and bankruptcy, their children either kidnapped or exchanged for food. Nico hated them. He hated those who watched their lives change but did nothing even though their souls cried out inside at the injustice. But his hatred burned differently to Clancy’s spite. Clancy’s rage was fierce and consuming, born out of bitterness which changed the kind soul that once wished for a better world in the early days of Thurmond. Something in Nico trembled of the day that would come when Clancy couldn’t turn back from the path he had chosen. 

 

The fresh wounds on Nico’s back throbbed, making him hiss and shuffle, causing the kitten to startle and leap, racing underneath his chair. Clancy’s foot stomped on the pedal break, bringing the car to a screech in the middle of a tight alleyway. His hand pushed Nico’s shirt up and his mouth tightened at what he saw. White bandages were seeped in red like bed linen stained with the blood of the innocent.

 

“Hold still. I’ll clean and redress your wounds.”

 

Clancy slowly teased off the wrappings and muffled his gag of disgust but failed to hide how his eyes darkened and the fierce curl of his lips. Thick yellow pus, the colour of raw egg yolks, oozed out of the whip lashes. Stitches were littered all over Nico’s body but they were particularly prominent near his spine. The burn marks on his torso were stained vibrant crimson, like a red petunia, to a dull faded brown. An intense smell of iron and antiseptic hit Clancy’s nose as he carefully disinfected Nico’s wounds with something strong that he had filched from the Thurmond infirmary a while back. Nico’s muscles tensed under the tenderness of Clancy’s actions when he wrapped new bandages around his friend’s back. 

 

“So, are we still in West Virginia?” questioned Nico, desperate for a distraction from thinking about the warmth of Clancy’s hands. 

 

“Yes. We’re just near the border of Virginia. The sooner we can get out of this state, the better."

 

A crack of thunder pierced the distance, frightfully showering the sky with an all-consuming light, booming heartily and darkening the shadows that loomed on Clancy’s face. The kitten that they picked up screeched, springing into Nico’s lap, fur shivering under his soothing pets and shushes. Now that Nico thought about it, they needed to pick a name for the kitten. Perhaps something like Fluffy…

…

Tears prickled Nico’s eyelashes. The cat’s soulless eyes stared blankly ahead, it’s stiff limbs forever curled up and it’s chest eternally still like a statue carved out of stone. Clancy silently watched Nico mourn for a few moments, an emotion flickering on his face. He picked up the corpse out of Nico’s numb hands, snapped the door open and walked in the distance towards a community of families protectively huddled around a campfire that burned brightly despite the recent rain. Nico didn’t stir until Clancy returned with a frown on his face, a new cut on his check and blueberry bruises on his fists, with a plastic bag. A warm whiff of chicken sprinkled with spices and hot fried chips, smelling unhealthily tasty, make Nico’s stomach grumble in protest at being empty. 

 

“I…Where did you get food? What did you do?” Nico accused, betrayal staining his saddened face.

 

“It’s either eat this or eat the cat”, replied Clancy. “Meat is meat. It’s your choice.”

 

Clancy politely turned away and munched on his meagre portion of the meal in silence when Nico heart-achingly sobbed while eating the juicy chicken skewers, bitterly savouring the flavours that burst on his tongue. 

….

The two of them stared out on the road, occasional potholes dug deep appeared and cracks sneakily spreading across the asphalt. Abandoned cars, windows slathered with a layer of dust, populated the empty highway. Some were unnaturally flipped on their backs while others’ flat wheels firmly stood on the ground but all told tales such as a favourite cotton childhood toy that was unfortunately left behind on the floor of their minivan when a crazed mob appeared, pillaging and robbing everyone in a frenzy or a pack of dice that was given by a former love that was forgotten when its owner gave birth to a stillborn corpse in her red car that she bought as a teenager and forced to leave when her other children were ripped away from their arms by a wave of PSI soldiers whose black uniforms appeared like the grim reaper in the daylight. 

 

“I learned from the housewives back in that town that they still don’t know what is happening with the children that are being taken”, spoke Clancy, his voice calm as waves that bobbed up and down on a crystal clear day. “Either people are just plain stupid or they have problems that far exceed our situation. I could see the fear on their faces when they saw me, a kid in their eyes.”

 

Nico’s fists clenched, desperate to punch Clancy and hear the crack of his cheek under his hands. He harshly breathed in and out five times, paused, then did another set of inhales and exhales. “Yes. It just shows the depths of depravity that people can reach in their desperation to survive. Who cares about the freaks when they have their own issues?”

 

“Hey. Hey. We’re not freaks. We’re better than they are”, breathed Clancy, an unholy gleam sharply showing in their eyes. “They’re the monsters in the dark, preying on those much more powerful than them."

 

“Clancy…”, whispered Nico. Multiple situations filtered in Nico’s mind - some involved him clasping his hands over his mouth to muffle his cry of shock as he watched Clancy stand over a dead body with blood-stained hands, one thought immersed him in a world where a bullet hole was deeply embedded in both of their heads and others absorbed him in an image where they were captured by some Skip Tracers and he imagined that he would be filled with dread as he slowly watched Clancy’s mind break even more as scientists with a cruel flame dancing in their eyes as they unreservedly electrocute him, causing painful screams to pierce the air. 

 

“Anyway, we need to find some computer parts in the next city. I’m certain that your smart brain can find some way to connect us to the internet.”

 

Nico’s toes curled inside his stiff leather shoes as he swung his limbs and stared at the crumbs that littered the disgusting floor. Incessant tapping of keys reverberated off the metal walls. The stale air, mixed with sweat and blood, overcame Nico. A flash of gray curtains, a pun on his last name, came into his mind. The window, covered in stocky pitch-black bars that were larger than an adult’s arm, showed an empty soccer pitch that was littered with autumn leaves. The feeling of a hard bed, uncomfortable as the ground, on his side and the restricting clank of a shackle, that was firmly attached to his ankle, echoed every time he moved. The imposing metal security door loomed over him, heavy locks and various mechanisms designed to keep him, the hostage, imprisoned. There were indistinct murmurs of the security guards who responding to that man’s voice…

 

The car engine was silent as a lizard. He needed to get out. He opened the door, orange pollen and dust sparkled in the sun, causing him to unwilling sneeze before he grinned with watery eyes at the sight before him. They were lucky that they came off the beaten track to see this rare sight even though their hearts were still beating fast from the quick brush with some skip tracers in the gas station that they were scavenging a few paces back. A rainbow of flowers, from waterfall blue, lightning white to peach pink, sprouted from the ground accompanied with vibrant fresh grass. The field was not touched by the destructive nature of humanity. It’s surprising that Nico couldn’t see the fluttering wings and the gentle chime of laughter that was common of fairies. A ruffle of grass alerted Nico to a presence behind him.

 

“Is there something funny?” questioned Clancy, uncommonly showing his confusion as they stared at the sight in front of them, leaning against the side of their car.

 

“Nothing”, answered Nico with a roguish grin that painfully stretched his cheeks and caused thoughts to falter inside Clancy’s mind. “I was just thinking of those stories with fairies. It would be a miracle if we could find a flower ring here. Just imagine a kingdom filled with magic and wonder. It’ll be such a delight.”

 

“Nah. I think that this place actually conceals warrior elves whose sharp eyes could see their kilometres away and they have a never-ending supply of well-crafted arrows that make even the mouth of humanity’s greatest blacksmith to swear in jealousy. They would live in humble makeshift huts and party every night under the moon while they howl and hoot in celebration of their successful hunts.”

 

“Yeah. I can see that but there is such a magical hush to this area. Oh! Perhaps there are goblins here with wickedly sharp teeth that munch and crunch on the bones of animals and humans that pass by this area. They hide in the beauty of this area, appearing as soft maidens and boys with angelic voices that sing enchanting lullabies, luring unfortunate travellers who are never seen again.”

 

“Sheesh. You and your imagination. Hmm. We have some cheese and crackers. Would you like to have a picnic while we’re here?”


	2. Chapter 2

There were red flecks everywhere - on their clothing, bedsheets, the white plaster walls, even the uniform laced boots of the soldiers and scientists. For weeks, every time he washed his hands, the murky water turned scarlet. Nico laid his shaven head against his lumpy, uncomfortable pillow and stared at the ceiling, his thoughts racing at 100 kilometres per hour. Clancy was still avoiding him, something hard to do when considering how they live in such close-quarters and the fact that their regular checkups are aligned.

His friend’s face was always nowadays pinched and his clothes were straight out falling off him. Since when did he feel the need to build up a wall between them and stop confiding in him? Nico didn’t blame Clancy because what happened wasn’t his friend’s fault. The blood was on his hands, certainly not on Clancy’s. Nico’s chest felt tight at the thought of his friend’s disgust of him. He could still remember the weight of his friend’s blank gaze when he told that he was forced to face against the one with the fire abilities. Clancy’s eyes grew colder when Nico’s voice had choked when he explained how they hurt and hurt each other until his opponent, whose name he didn’t know but whose haunted face he would always see across the cafeteria with the second batch of test subjects, never got up. Would never get up again.

Against his will, darkness overtook Nico. His eyes grew heavy with every moment as though the Sandman was waving a spell over him. He woke. The stars were still blinking in the dark sky outside. His usual half-hearted escape plans and nibbles of ideas, too many to be concerned with, filled his overactive mind. A shadow loomed over him.

“Clancy?” murmured Nico before he used his own hands to muffle his mouth, eyes wide open in terror at the ever-present threat of punishment from the scientists for speaking when it isn’t necessary after light’s out. Another one of their fellow inmates flopped over and mumbled in her sleep. He glanced at the camera in the corner of their room and noticed that the blinking red eye wasn’t there. It often wasn’t on but they couldn’t afford to believe that the camera would permanently remain off. Screams of a boy, younger than him by a year, echoed in his head, a reminder of the price of being cocky and thinking that they would never get caught breaking the increasing amount of rules.

Arms wrapped around Nico, giving him warmth and a sense of home. His spine was tingly, similar to the sensation he would experience when he electrocuted but it was mixed with pleasure rather than pain, confusion and horror. A whiff of musk, blood and something distinctly Clancy, almost like coffee, entered his nostrils. Nico slumped against Clancy, relieved that this dry spell of no communication would stop. Nico’s shoulder started forming a wet patch and his friend started to shake.

“Nico? I’ve done something bad. Terribly bad. It’s just…I don’t know what’s happening. We have these powers for some unknown reason and they fear us for it. I can’t forgive them. They hurt you so I made them hurt and I liked it. I enjoyed seeing them writhe in agony.”

  
….

The sun’s rays were out today, piercing through the floating innocent-white cotton balls. The sky wasn’t crying tears of sorrow and despair when he entered and left Thurmond. Clancy whispered to him in the dark once, when they both woke up screaming themselves hoarse from nightmares where scalpels and ghost hands plunged inside their brains, that it was raining when he arrived at the forgotten mental institution that would one day be reshaped into Thurmond with a new mess hall added to the property. According to his friend, he was brought there with a muzzle tightened to the extent of making his jaw aching for days afterwards. Before he continued, Clancy gripped harder on Nico’s hand as they lay side by side when he told his story, gasoline in the air and pebbles digging painfully in their sides.

With a spiteful tone, Clancy growled that his parents sent him there after he made the maid’s eyes glaze over and convinced her to give him another slice of cake. There were other hints of his powers manifesting before but that incident was the breaking point that led to his stern-faced bastard of a father and his weak-willed mother to abandon him.

Nico ripped his attention away from the abysmal metal entanglement of cars, some half-melted from fires made by previous riots and others dented with windows smashed by wild whimsical nature. The car engine rumbled back to life after Clancy hopped back into the car and turned the key, purring as a content house cat. His clumsy hands fumbled with the book that was unexpectedly thrown at him.

“Read it”, ordered Clancy.

The spine was worn out and its pages told a tale out of water spills, food stains and dog-eared corners. In faded writing, Nico could barely make out the title that proudly proclaimed ‘Basics for mechanic apprentices’. Without complaint, Nico flipped open the book and consumed the words on each page, his mind hungry for any kind of stimulation. As despicable as they were, the scientists were the best at dealing with him when he was bored. The puzzles and games that they fed him, day after day, were good at preventing him from driving people to murder him with their bare hands.

A comfortable silence fell as Clancy continued driving down the road to a destination that only he knew and Nico’s mind twisted and squeezed every new concept, shaping and reshaping them until the ideas could be used for multiple purposes. ‘My Way’ by Elvis filtered through the radio. His rich voice soulfully singing the lyrics, causing a memory to stir in Nico’s mind.

Clancy’s fingers tapped on the wheel. “So you know this song?”

“I guess”, mumbled Nico, a light pink flush spreading on his cheeks at being caught humming to the song. “My pops was fond of Elvis. Had a bunch of memorabilia and everything.”

Nico pressed his face further into the book and hunched further, intent on ignoring the reminder of the family he had lost to this illness that he has. He grabbed a water bottle, the plastic cheap kind with fake eyesore colours that they had salvaged in a decrepit gas station a while back, desiring for a way to avoid talking further. His parched throat and cracked lips were thankful for the liquid nourishment. Suddenly, Nico surged forward, water spilling after the bottle and book slipping out of his book. His seatbelt painfully tugged on his torso, bruises forming on his the skin on his chest.

In slow motion, a bead of sweat formed on Clancy’s brow as his friend rotated the steering wheel in order to avoid the sudden appearance of a deer on the road. Their car skidded off the road and ripped grass with its roots and all until it came to a stop next to a tree. They sat there, harshly breathing, limbs shaking and skin turned pale as snow. Distantly, they witnessed the deer clop out of the way and a truck zooming past, headlights tracing a path of light in the dawn. Hysteric laughter bubbled out of their mouths, breaking the shocked atmosphere.

“Geez”, huffed Clancy. “What are we doing?”

The words were not for Nico’s ears. However, indignation spiked in his brain. He grasped Clancy’s bicep and stared his friend right in the eyes. “We’re going to create that place we often talked about where those like us can take a nice fucking nap in a safe place with food in their stomach and concerns about the outside world far from their mind.”

Clancy leaned forward, a small genuine smile crossed his lips; his breath mingling with Nico’s. “Thanks for being here. You always know what to say."

It was as though ice froze Nico’s limbs and his heart beat louder inside his rib cage, whipping around like a cyclone. Thump. Thump. Thump. Disappointment flooded his veins when he withdrew his hand and Clancy pulled away, pressing on the accelerator. What is happening?


	3. Chapter 3

It seemed as though chips of ice had seeped in her mind, chasing away any warmth from her limbs. Footsteps echoed in the desolate alleyway, empty clothesline swinging above the girl, shadows following the lone figure in the darkness. Brute shouts, accompanied with savage barks that snarled from the gaps of sharp canines that drooled buckets of rancid saliva, were hurtled out on the streets. Curtains snapped firmly closed in decrepit apartments with doors that were barely held upright on loose hinges and the homeless outside just huddled closer to each other in their makeshift homes, turning their backs well away. A child’s breath condensed in the air, their weary scarf curled warmly around their neck like a snake and mud crept up the ends of their coat. 

 

Clancy was determinedly holding on Nico’s squirming figure and muffling any cries of distress that he unwillingly made as he tried to desperately reach the door handle so he could recklessly rush out and help the poor helpless girl outside. In their struggle, they were lying on the back seat with a matted blanket crudely drawn over them. A headache was pounding inside Clancy’s skull, constantly throbbing, as he was convincing the PSI soldiers that there is nothing to see in here and that they should pass on by. Blood rushed faster in their veins and their hearts thumped in the darkened when a flashlight beamed on the blanket that the two of them were concealed. Eyes squinted in the darkness, their beard brushed against the frost pattern on the glass. Their clunky helmet clunked against the metal of the car.

 

“Hey. Is there anything there?”

 

“No. Nothing. Must have been my mistake. Let’s try another street.”

 

Suddenly, unreserved screams, horrific in how painfully terrifying it broke the heavy silence of the night, erupted. Those screams changed to surprised cries filled with pain, the kind that was heard when a child scrapped their knees on the playground. Blood splattered on the footpath, a stain that would forever never be cleansed, the girl’s leg stuck in the firm jaws of a growling dog, its teeth clamped on like the limb belonged to a rag doll. Tears leaked out of the girl’s startled face. Soldiers raced to the source of the screams, their footsteps slamming onto the ground, their padded dark uniform ungracefully jostling up and down. They surrounded the girl like she was an armed criminal, their hands aiming their loaded guns at her, their fingers firmly gripping the trigger and their faces unforgiving, almost carved out of stone. By this point, the girl’s wails turned to whimpers, then descended pleads for them to stop doing this, her voice cracking with each other sentence. Then, an unnatural quiet dropped in the area when a gag was placed on her mouth, cutting her words off. 

 

Nico’s body started shaking while under Clancy’s rigid body when the girl’s eyes, lifeless as a farm in the middle of a heavyset drought, unknowingly meet their own. Dark blueberry was mottled over the right-side of her face and her ear was partially torn off, red ichor trickling down her snow-white skin. 

 

The car buckled like an unruly bull in Nico’s shaking hands. It rose up and down, jostling its two passengers, as its wheel dipped into the various potholes on the long swerving road ahead. A bright blue light shone on Clancy’s enraptured face as his hands swiftly moved from one key to another at the same speed that a pianist’s fingers would move during a spectacular concert. Memories painfully curved around Nico’s brain, similar to thorns, as the eyes of that child kept replaying in his mind.

 

“You’re thinking that we should have helped that girl and we shouldn’t have ignored her plight”, groused Clancy, annoyance painted on his face. “ _However_ , we need to focus on ourselves first before helping others. We were in no position to help her. I am only able to manipulate the minds of five people in close range and my control over my powers is about a seven out of ten, at best. Ugh. Don’t look like that. What is the likelihood of us to have successfully saved that girl without being recaptured by the five-teen PSI grunts there?”

 

“Five percent, maximum”, murmured Nico, gears whirring as he rewound his memories back to that event and walked down the path of multiple possible choices and solutions to the problem. “But still - Yeah. You’re right, Clancy.”

 

“We’ll do something if we can next time, alright? Also, watch the road. Turn the wheel a bit more. That’s too much! Slow down!”

 ....

The formerly sparkling white shelves were stained brown with dust. There were deep footprints clearly embedded on the carpet floor, that was matted with various bodily fluids, showing a clear path around the store Nico’s skin felt slimy and icky. Whips, chains and fluffy handcuffs of various colours were proudly pinned up everywhere on display on the wooden walls. He hurriedly rushed forward, eyes avoiding the DVD covers and well-used magazines that displayed scantily clad figures who were provocatively interacting with other models and doing unspeakable things that made Nico’s ears hiss steam. Clancy was busily ruffling through items in the storeroom, flinging objects over his shoulder, some squeaking in protest and others clanking. 

 

“Uhm”, coughed Nico. “What are we doing here? Also, what…did you just throw over your shoulder?”

 

“There should be some spare parts for our stupid computer. I also need some kind of lubricant so I can grease a bolt that’s jammed on tightly in the car…..Wait. You don’t know that…Uh….You’ve had the birds and the bees talk before, right?”

 

“Birds and the bees?”

 

“Right? Please tell me you have.”

 

“I know a little about sex”, whispered Nico.

 

A curtain of silence draped over the room. Clancy’s completely-done-with-it expression faced Nico’s furious blush. Wordlessly, he exited the storeroom and re-entered, thrusting a box of tissues toward Nico along with a thick encyclopaedia and a couple magazines that weighed as heavy as a sack of potatoes. Hands ushered Nico outside and pushed him inside the van, leaving him to his lonesome. 

 ....

“So that happened”, stated Nico as he leaned against the headlight, his face firmly focused on a weed that sprouted out of a crack on the footpath instead of the shop across the street that they were just in.

 

Rust covered nails that held long planks, faded by time, wedged over the windows of surrounding buildings that loomed over the two. Crackling grass on the curbside, withered from being abandoned, rustled in the light breeze. Some birds, siblings that are less than a month old, jumped, twittered and twirled in their nest that was located high above on a wiry oak.

 

Clancy’s hand, nails and fingers stained black, rotated the wrench in his hand, screwing a bolt as he leaned underneath the lifted hood. 

 

“Yes. It did. My parents couldn’t stand to look me in the eye sometimes”, hummed Clancy. “Benjamin was the one who sat me down and gave me the birds and the bees talk. That was the most embarrassing moment of my life. My abilities also, unfortunately, enabled me to gather some more interesting information about how people choose to interact with each other.”

 

Most people would be filled to the brim with pity for a child who was given life lessons by their tutor rather than their parents who were perfectly able and available. Nico only shrugged off any pity and inhaled deeply before he blurted out, “I’m an orphan. Mom passed away when I was born, pops disappeared after I turned five and mah broke bro is the reason why…”

 

“Get in the car.”

 

“Wait. What?”

 

“Now, Nico”, yelled Clancy, bringing the hood down, wiping his dirty hands on his tattered jeans. “Or…”

 

The two of them reeled when a rotten stench hit the air before curved, long nails, whose yellow colour was as pronounced as the wrinkles on her skin, appeared from behind a garage door. Her oily hair was crazily frizzy, her back hunched and her companion’s frown intimidated even more than his hulking stature. Her cozy bathroom robe and fuzzy slippers were tatted and over-worn, probably haven’t seen the light of day in ages while the man was dressed in a professional suit.

 

“Lookie, lookie”, the woman cackled. “Here are some itty bitty teenagers. I wonder how much they’ll fetch. Probably more than my useless son would.”

 

“We don’t want any trouble”, consoled the man. “Just surrender and you won’t get hurt.”

 

An elbow slammed into Clancy’s face and a leg quickly uprooted him from the ground, his vision tilting like he was on a swing. A palm rammed on the back of Nico’s neck, an electric pain buzzing to his head, causing silence to dominate in his mind. Before his thoughts were muffled, Nico bitterly wondered about how much sooner they can create their perfect world so that things like this wouldn’t happen to others similar to them. His body slumped to the ground with a thump while the woman guffawed, chuckling about how much money she’d make on this new cattle.

 

Clancy’s shaking hand wiped a trail of blood that trickled from his injured nose. “Hah…You really shouldn’t have done that.” A dark smile, wide as a crescent moon, spread on his face as his arms dropped to his side like the limbs of a broken rag doll. 


	4. Chapter 4

Nico’s eyelids fluttering, fighting against what seemed to be the weight of a ton of bricks. Sleep beckoned him yet his mind stirred like a dragon waking from its slumber. Light painfully entered his unprepared eyes, causing him to snap out a hiss. He first heard the rustle of their one blanket which he was tucked into, then the crooning hums from the radio and recently new clunk that the car engine made every once in a while. He recognised the rusted familiar smell in the air that melded with the unpleasant scent of gasoline and the reassuring sight of Clancy’s striking dark eyes in the rearview mirror.

 

“Clancy?” hoarsely asked Nico.

 

“You’re awake”, exclaimed an unknown voice that originated from a gangly teen lounging in the front seat. There was a clumsiness to his movements as though he hasn’t quite grown into his lean branch-like limbs. A patch of freckles scattered on his tan cheeks like stars and despite his shy smile, there was an unspeakable sorrow dancing in his eyes. “I thought you died. You were barely breathing before. Ah! My name’s Hayden William Smith but you can call me -“

 

“Hayes, shut up”, harshly interrupted Clancy, hands tightening on the wheel to extent of turning his knuckles bleach white. “Anyway, I dealt with those adults that we unfortunately met earlier today. That woman was this guy’s stepmom and she was in the process of cashing this guy in to a skip tracer that approached her with a tempting offer. I found Hayes unconscious and tied up in the garage.”

 

“Was?” thought Nico, opening his mouth and then snapped his mouth shut, deciding to ignore Clancy’s choice of words. 

 

Nico’s lips tightened. “My name’s Nico. I don’t have a last name. So what can you do, Hayes?”

 

“I’m a Blue. I can move things with my mind. I was so surprised when I first came into my powers. I broke the cookie jar and I was so scared, then to my surprise, the shards of glass came back together.”

 

“Liar”, stated Clancy. “You first used your powers to loosen a bolt on your favourite bookshelf in self-defence when one of your mother’s customers entered your room.”

 

“Ha!”, chuckled Hayes. “You’re right! You really are an Orange. Well. I’m a bad liar. My face easily expresses my feelings.”

 

“Orange? Blue?”

 

“Oh. You don’t know? Well. Kids like us are classified by the Gray government by what we can do. The smart kids are Greens, those who can control electricity are Yellows, children with telekinesis like myself are Blues, the telepathic ones are Oranges and the last group are Reds who have abilities over fire.”

 

“Huh. You’re like Maria, then”, thoughtlessly spoke Nico, mind whirring over the implication of these new labels and the possibility that their generation only possesses five types of gifts. He hypothesised that there is a chance that in the future, future generations may appear to have an amalgamation of multiple types of gifts or new powers may emerge. Also, he wondered what was the point in classifying children in this manner. It’s not like there are many children left in the United States of America anymore. 

 

“Maria?”

 

“A girl that was in the same program with us some time ago”, answered Clancy. “She’s none of your concern cause she bled out on the dissection table.”

 

“Dissection?”

 

“Scientists cut her brain up and her body couldn’t take it.”

 

“Uhm…Hate to say this but are you guys from Thurmond? I can see the scars on the back of Nico’s neck and every so often your hand twitches, Clancy Gray.”

 

“You know.”

 

“Of course, I do. Your face was plastered all over the news and stuff since forever. What a miracle! Cured of the illness. Our children can be saved. Yada yada. I suppose it’s all a lie. A good but a predictable one.”

 

Clancy’s eyes flashed, a need for violence stirring within him, causing Nico to stare at his friend in concern.

 

“Yes”, answered Nico. “We were the first people the enter Thurmond as guinea pigs and we were the only ones to get out.”

 

“Huh. So what do you guys know about the current climate? Do you guys know that they’ve put a bunch of camps in each state now and there’s a whole rush to capture as many kids as possible?”

 

“We’ve had an inkling”, answered Clancy, his warning tone ending the conversation.

…

The map crinkled in Clancy’s clenched fists as he stared at the side of the road, trying to make sense of the surrounding landscape. Hayes drummed his fingers on the dashboard of the car. Nico sighed and flopped on the field of grass, staring at the shapes of the fluffy marshmallows in the sky. The wisps of vapour at 10 o’clock resembled a miniature poodle while that formation of clouds over the cluster of trees, not quite enough to be a forest but more of a place to hide and seek, appeared to look like a hand. 

 

The car door banged open as Hayes waltzed right out of their vehicle and hollered, “Are we lost? We’ve been here for more than an hour?”

 

“Quiet”, snapped Clancy. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. Anyone can come across us at this very moment because of your brutish yelling. Besides, we’re just misplaced, not lost. Give me a moment and we’ll be right on our way.”

 

“On our way to what? You guys still haven’t told me our destination and what you guys are planning on doing. I’m hungry and I’m tired. I want to sleep in a proper bed.”

 

“We didn’t ask for you to come with us.”

 

“I know but I reckon travelling with you would be interesting and much better than my old life.”

 

Clancy’s uncharacteristic groan was cut off by a boom of air that was heard as a fighter plane rushed over their heads. its aluminium plates were painted in a startling sage green colour with the words ‘U.S. air force’ strikingly stood out on it. Something stirred in Nico’s mind. There was that sudden comment by another scavenger that they had met in a bookstore a while ago…

 

_ It was dark and silent. Grime covered the almost empty bookshelves like a thick oily skin. They dared not to turn on the light. It was risky for both of them to come into the store and leave their only mood of transportation unattended. Unknown shadows rushed around them, squeaking and nibbling on every corner of the room. They grabbed whatever book they could find and chucked them into their shoulder bags, intending to sort out their findings later. Nico’s knees were bent and he stood on the balls of his feet the entire time. Suddenly, the bell on top of the entrance door rang with a chime that echoed throughout the room.  _

 

_ The fluorescent light whirred on, the light chasing away the shadows in the room. A hand grasped Nico’s shoulder, causing him to jump and turn around with a frightened expression. His limbs relaxed when he saw Clancy’s apologetic smile, the sight as cheering as the glowing glitter of snowflakes falling on the streets in winter. A tall bookshelf hid them out of sight as they crouched and dragged their haul along with them. Loud thumps were heard as a man cursed when his foot banged on an upturned plank of wood devastating too near to them. Their feet rushed faster, beads of sweat dripped down their neck and their hearts thumped faster inside their chests.  _

 

_ “Hey. You two. Don’t think I didn’t notice you two were there. I may not have been able to actually hear you guys but I was able to notice your shadows on the floor.” _

 

_ They froze, a chill rising up and down their arms and legs. Clancy plastered a pleasant smile on his face, brushing away Nico’s tug on his jacket and moved into the unknown man’s line of sight. “Ah. Sorry about that. We would rather be left alone. We haven’t had any pleasant dealings with people that we’ve come across so far.” _

 

_ “I guess so. You’re children. Hah. Since I’m feeling generous today and because you remind me of my little sister, I’ll let you kids go in exchange for five books.” _

 

_ Nico peaked at the man from between the gaps of the bookshelf. A faded purple cap labelled with the words ‘Basketball rules’ cast shadows over face, obscuring his features. He couldn’t see Clancy’s expression at this angle but he could see the rage coating his body. _

 

_ “Of course. Here you go.” The sound of a zipper was heard. _

 

_ “Cheers. Thanks for that. Oh, hey. Be careful about going into cities nowadays. There are rumours that the fight between the Children’s League, the West Coast government and the Gray government is heating up.” The man’s arms were curved around what he thought was a pack of books even though he was holding nothing. Nico knew that the man would forget about entering this bookstore in ten minutes.  _

 

Nico hummed, reflecting on his recollection of the meeting. There was a possibility that fighter plane they saw possessed a plethora of weapons and soldiers. “Clancy.”

 

“What?”

 

“Let me have a look at the map. We can’t enter any cities or towns in the next few kilometres unless we are absolutely desperate.”

 

“Finally”, exclaimed Hayes. “The Green is finally going to point us in the right direction.”

 

“We need supplies though”, replied Clancy, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. “But okay. I trust you.”

….

Buildings grew larger and taller as their car cautiously crawled closer. A flock of crows circled the dark sky, cawing and cackling at each other. Hayes’ palms were pressed flat against the closest window, enraptured by the sight of another city. His mouth was gaping open, letting any unfortunate fly to be sucked into the vacuum that is his stomach. His eyes soaked in the sight of vines and weeds that wrapped around like green cobras around buildings. A sleeping dog, fur infested with a huge population of fleas and the sharp lines of his ribs digging against his loose skin, curled up against the rotten corpse of its master. 

 

Their car passed by a makeshift prison where hands banged against the metal fence that imprisoned them for their ‘crimes’ and half-heartedly protested, movements dull with how repeated they were. Hayes had seen many of them in his home city. According to his foggy memories of his mom, his real one, the emergence of the IAAN and the collapse of their economy had resulted in many criminals starving in prisons from neglect including his father who was captured by the police for a string of robberies. Some criminals especially those slated for death row, she explained, had escaped and their lethal brutality enabled them to subdue local gang groups. You should always avoid gangs that are led by these kinds of criminals otherwise you will end up in a cycle of use and abuse. These kinds of so-called criminal pig-pens were utilised to keep those who rebelled against these gang groups. 

 

He had never managed to get a close look at these pig-pens before. His face pressed up against the window, breath fogging the glass, head turned toward those metal fences that they were slowly passing by. The sight of those scars gouged in the flesh of those tree-trunk arms that held massive loaded guns and their sharp gazes that pierced into one’s soul always frightened him. Strangely now, he felt numb to what he just passed. There was nothing to fear. Yesterday, he was even able to lift a heavy boulder that had blocked the road. It was true that he had to take a long nap afterwards but it showed how far he had come in the past few days on the road. Plus, Nico built a gadget out of scrap pieces of a twisted old radio that would project a scream targeted against adults and Clancy is the most frightening person ever, able to scare any unsuspecting bastard that gets in their way.


	5. Chapter 5

With a clack that followed the flip of a switch, balls of light flickered on, dully illuminating the rusted iron gates that creaked open at the slightest touch. Hayes grinned, eyes crinkling, and dashed forward without a thought, causing Clancy to rush up in order to catch up to him. Nico trailed behind, his scuffed shoes squeaking periodically in protest. There were large chipped teacups mounted high on a pedestal; some even had missing handles. Papers, posters for missing pets and the initial wave of pamphlets on the IAAN had all been swept away by the wind and scattered all over this unbeaten path. A cotton candy stand, empty of sugar, stood opposite to an ice cream stand that boasted of 10 different flavours. 

 

“What is the point of going to an amusement park?” asked Clancy earlier that day as a glimpse of the amusement park caught their group’s eye from where they hid their car under a bunch of leaves and branches on top of a hill. His skin was paler than usual. Maybe he was just concerned about that close call with a skip tracer yesterday. “It’s unnecessary. There’s no benefit to doing so.”

 

“But it’ll be fun!” replied Hayes. “Don’t worry. I rode on some rides before. Besides, consider our trip as practice for the future. Just imagine going on a date here, trying all the rides with a deliciously curvy girl hanging on your arm.”

 

“Nico? Help me talk some sense into him.”

 

“Well”, sheepishly replied Nico. “I’ve never been to an amusement park. It might be somewhat educational if we had a quick look…”

 

“Fine”, sighed Clancy. 

….

Cob-webs draped over a large sign, one that used to glow in the past, that had a crooked letter ‘a’ in the name of the building. There was a washed-out red everywhere when they entered the structure; it was the colour of the curtains, the carpet, the paint, even the doors. There was an imprint of something in the place brought about by something like children’s laughter and happy smiles. The air smelled like stale popcorn and socks. A picture of a guitar hung lop-sided on a nail.

 

Nico’s quick glance in a crusty convex mirror in the corner when they entered the building showed a warped reflection of himself and his surroundings. He hurriedly snapped the ornate curtains shut, obscuring them from anyone on the street and stepped closer to Clancy, his eyes continually flickering and moving on all the details in the area. Hayes nervously fidgeted with a pocket knife, something that he had picked up years ago, and cautiously checked around each corner, all the tiny of pockets of space for any humans in the place. Clancy closed his eyes and stood in the foyer, attempting to expand the perimeter of his powers. He picked up the surface thoughts of his companions as though they were broadcasted in a radio show. As far as he could tell, they were no-one in this building.

 

“Okay”, murmured Hayes before he leapt back into the lobby. “This is amazing! Oh. My voice sounds weird. Almost like it’s echoing?”

 

“This is a cinema, not an amusement park”, deadpanned Clancy, his eyebrow aristocratically raised in a manner that would bring one to cower and question their own self-worth. 

 

“So? You know, you guys don’t seem to have a lot of fun. It’s all do this, do that and run away from this. Sheesh.”

 

“We’ve had good reason to, Hayes”, reasoned Nico, his hand squeezed Clancy’s bicep for a few moments before ducking underneath the barrier to enter a worker’s restricted area. “We don’t have any reason to follow your whims. For all we know, you could be a spy waiting to turn us in at the nearest camp.”

 

“It’s not -“

 

“That’s why we’re here at this very moment. You are a bad liar, after all.”

 

Long steel shelves covered the walls of the storage room. Movie reels were hap-hazardously placed in boxes that had messy handwriting mark in a sharpie pen which genre they belonged to. Nico headed straight for the sci-fi, conspiracy and alien section in the dark corner, snapping on latex gloves that immediately Clancy chucked at him. Hayes rolled his eyes but dutifully wore the gloves while examining the action and fighter flicks, chuckling at the comments that some brain-dead part-timer had written a long time ago in regards to each movie. Clancy hummed, unsure about what types of movies he’d like. He wandered around aimlessly for a while until Nico’s head peered up and suggested, “They have some mystery flicks? Maybe they have some detective films.”

 

“I’m not really in the mood for mystery.”

 

“Romance? Comedy?”

 

“Hmm….”

 

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those indecisive movie watchers”, incredulously interrupted Hayes. 

 

“Movies aren’t my thing”, Clancy defensively retorted before he covered his mouth and started coughing. His face was red and his eyes were watery. “Must be the dust.”

 

The concerned crease on Nico’s face smoothed out. He pacifically soothed, “Well, we can watch a bit of everything then."

…

“Here comes the moment of truth”, exclaimed Hayes as he observed the cozy little room. “We have a brainiac, a manual and a bunch of movies that we want to watch. Are you sure that we can’t come here tomorrow?”

 

“We can’t afford to gather any attention to ourselves and lose sight of our goal. Remember why we’re here.”

 

There was a rustle of pages as Nico’s eyes greedily absorbed the words on each piece of paper, mentally comparing the diagrams in the manual to the real-life machine in front of him. His hands moved fast, twisting, turning, flipping things on, inserting, checking the settings of the other devices in the room and then pausing. He anxiously waited and huffed a sigh of relief when the first pre-movie advertisements showed on the big screen.

 

“Yes. Come on you guys”, exclaimed Hayes.

 

Nico and Clancy chased Hayes down as he raced through the hallways and down some steps, inwardly resigned to this routine of theirs. They had lost sight of him for a moment but there was no mistaking the sight of Hayes waving his arms up and down at them, already reclining on a comfy seat. Their limbs sunk into the fluffy lounges. The three of them acted like normal kids for the entire time that they were there. They laughed, cried, screamed at each jump scare, complained about each horrible ending and debated over which part and character they liked the most. Their voices echoed in the empty cinema but if they closed their eyes and imagined, they could see every row here filled with people, eating popcorn and whispering to each other during the movies. 

 

Clancy’s cheeks hurt from smiling too much, Hayes’ eyes were red from sobbing his wretched heart out and Nico’s eyes were sparkling, the shadows on his face temporarily gone.

….

Stars twinkled mischievously above them against a curtain of black in the atmosphere. Nico and Clancy leisurely walked around, peeking into the various attractions and exhibits on their way to the largest ride in the amusement park. A string of light bulbs, moths fluttering around each bright orb, guided them on the way. 

 

“Finally”, exclaimed Hayes, voice hoarse from talking all day long. “You guys take so long. It’s almost midnight now. Come on. This is the last ride. So I’ll go on a carriage by myself and then you guys will have your turn. I want some alone time with myself and my imaginary girlfriend.”

 

Nico blinked and gazed up at the large Ferris wheel. The bolts and structure are still sturdy enough to hold their weight without crumbling to pieces but it groaned ominously when a harsh gust of wind blew against the Ferris wheel. Plus, it seemed mightily high. He was forcibly pushed forward by Hayes toward the control panel. Nico sighed, gears in his mind stirring as he pushed a few buttons to launch the Ferris wheel into action. 

 

Clancy and Nico peered up at the amusement ride, incredulously watching Hayes put the moves on his ideal girl - first by wrapping his hand around her and sprouting some cheesy line accompanied with a wriggle of his eyebrows and then by kissing her when they were at the very peak, overlooking the sight. Their ribs started tearing by how much they were laughing when they saw Hayes’ shoulders squirm as he kissed the thin air. 

 

“He’s not crazy, right?” asked Nico as he pressed a button and moved a lever to steadily bring Hayes’ carriage back to the ground. “I mean, what’s the point of doing _that_?”

 

“Delusional? Yes. Insane? Not quite”, answered Clancy. “I suspect he’s just trying to make the most of his situation.”

 

There was a bright cherry red flush on Hayes’ beaming face as he hopped towards them. “Okay. Now it’s your turn. Show me the basics and then, off you go.”

 

A few stuttered protests started coming out of Nico’s mouth but he realised it was too late when he heard the click of the lock that trapped him in the carriage with Clancy. He sat down opposite to Clancy, freezing in place as the carriage wobbled at his slightest movement. 

 

“You look so scared, Nico. I’m not going to eat you.”

 

“No. Of course not.” Nico peeked down at the ground as they steadily rose up. “That’s really high.”

 

His vision wavered and his breath quickened at the bird’s eye view. Then, everything cleared after something warm covered his hand. Clancy’s hand squeezed his own. 

 

“Don’t worry. I’m right here with you. We’ll fall together if anything happens. Hey. Look up there.”

 

High above the city skyline, they could see the brilliant sight of the moon shining radiantly with her faithful star companions. Nico was awed by its ginormous size and how perfectly round it was. For a short time, the two of them were alone, holding hands, taking in the vision in front of them and feeling at peace with the world. Nico leaned against Clancy’s shoulder, hearing the reassuring thump of his friend’s racing heart and soaked in his warmth.


	6. Chapter 6

A few more minutes and then they’d finally be out of this death trap. Out of worry that the other would see his tomato-red face, Nico determinedly didn’t glance at Clancy. Their carriage was steadily moving down, shaking and creaking with every slight movement. 

 

Unfortunately, if Nico was looking at the other, he would have seen Clancy’s relaxed eyes widen with surprise before they narrowed in terrifying anger. Clancy and Nico surged forward after their carriage stopped suddenly. Clancy wrapped his arms around Nico’s torso to still both of their movements. Nico glanced above him in concern, watching the bolts that held their carriage in the air loosen and heard the Ferris wheel make a long groan. 

 

Horrifyingly, he could see the two of them rushing toward the ground with a splat and not surviving. Strangely enough, he had always thought that they would’ve died at the hands of some adult, either from a scalpel or a bullet. He didn’t want to go like this. He had a taste of freedom again. He wanted to see what Clancy, him (and unwittingly, Hayes) looked like when they were grown up. He desired to watch the creation of their sanctuary for people like them. Tears prickled Nico’s eyes. 

 

He glanced down toward the control panel and watched a bunch of boys, around their age, surround Hayes. They each carried a make-shift spears that threatened to jab itself into Hayes. 

 

Pebbles fell off the side of the elevated floor as Hayes stepped away from the control panel of the Ferris wheel.

 

Nico witnessed Hayes clench his fists before a bunch of surrounding debris flew into the air in all directions. Some of the twigs and spare bolts hit the boys but most of the airborne objects missed the attackers. One of the boys, presumably the leader (based on how he was the only one wearing a hat, which was made out of chicken feathers and leaves) made an inaudible order to the others. Like predators, they all surrounded Hayes and circled him. Nico leaned forward a little bit just to get a closer look and winced when he heard the metal carriage moan in distress. His eyes flicked in all directions, gaze moving from the useless emergency lever to the seat, the roof and then stopped on his pocket. 

 

With a grimace, Nico pulled out the hidden device that he had been working on for the past few weeks. However, Clancy shook his head and told him to put the device away for another day. A sigh escaped Nico’s lips as he pocketed the miniature machine.

 

Suddenly, an unprompted cry cracked through the air like a boom of thunder. 

 

Hayes fell to the ground, steam rising off his left arm. The leader of the boys triumphantly loomed over the unconscious body. The tribe of boys started laughing in unison but unspeakably, a hush entered the air. It was as though the boys had stepped past some line that was drawn in the sand.They had broken a taboo of some kind and payment must be taken in exchange. Hayes’ limbs twitched before he mechanically stood up. His emotionless face, pale skin and blank eyes made him seem as though he was an unholy creature that rose from the dead which made the bunch of boys below instinctively reel back. 

 

Nico glanced up and watched a bead of sweat trail down Clancy’s focused face. Clancy’s slight nod resulted in Hayes’ arms rising up, like a zombie, and slowly metal painfully wrapped itself around the boys. 

 

Soon after that, Hayes’ body shuffled to the control panel and pressed some buttons which made the ferris wheel whir back to life. Their carriage still creaked ominously but at least, they’d hopefully make it back down safely. Nico was thankful that the tribe of yellows hadn’t short-circuited the ferris wheel. He hypothesised that they would probably want to keep the ride intact so they could still use it. 

 

A heavy weight fell on Nico. He huffed as he supported Clancy’s heaving and trembling body. Clancy’s skin was flushed and covered with a sparkling layer of sweat. Nico licked his cracked lips. They’ll be on the ground floor soon and then he’ll be able to deal with Clancy’s exhaustion and Hayes’ wound. 

 

The carriage door automatically swung open at the push of Nico’s hand. He dragged Clancy along with him, holding a first aid kit under his armpit and watched Hayes fall down to the ground like a puppet whose strings have been cut. The electrical wound on Hayes’ forearm was blistered red and exposed his flesh like a rose but thankfully it's a second-degree burn that isn't bleeding profusely. His long-sleeved shirt was stained red and his back was leaning against the control panel. Nico tenderly let Clancy down to the ground, giving his friend a gentle smile before he rushed toward Hayes, quickly disinfecting the wound. With great practice, he ignored Hayes’ whimpers of pain and professionally bandaged the burn. 

 

Nico assessed the bandages on Hayes once more before he jumped to his feet and glanced at the tribe of boys who flinched at his gaze. The metal was twisted around them and dug into their skin, drawing droplets of blood like thorns. Their mouths were covered by the restraints as well which meant that their words were muffled. Somehow, fear stained their painted faces. Their leader even looked absolutely terrified as though the devil himself was standing before them. Nico stepped closer and noticed that some had a wet patch on their pants. He glanced back, having heard something scuff the ground behind him. 

 

Clancy unsteadily stumbled to his feet. A sneer was plastered on his face, staring down at the tribe like they were measly dirt on his shoe. 

 

“I’m going to make you hurt for what you’ve done”, promised Clancy. His predator's voice brought about a shiver that travelled down everyone's spines. “Nico, will you stay for this or leave?”

 

His friend’s eyes burned with fury and rage while the other boys’ eyes were begging for Nico to save them. Nico turned his head away and stayed. He heard their muffled screams and smothered pleas for mercy. Nico witnessed their very soul wither when Clancy delved into their minds and perfected his skills on them over and over again. After everything, he saw the broken looks on their faces when the three of them departed from the amusement park.

….

Hayes pulled his legs closer to them, curled into a ball as though it’ll block out the bad memories. There was a strange vulnerability in him now - something that his ordinary boisterous and happy-go-lucky nature concealed. The white bandages on his forearm stood out starkly in the darkness within their vehicle. In the back seat, Nico was softly breathing, silently dreaming, positioned to take up as less space as possible so to look less threatening and unnoticeable. Exhaustion took over a sleep-deprived Nico who had stayed awake for the past three days so he could attend to a feverous Clancy and an injured Hayes.

 

The headlights of the car struck ahead in the darkness, illuminating the drab cracked concrete road that was surrounded by trees, devoid of leaves, that had tiny green buds growing on them. They had whipped past the last power line in the area - a sign that they were exiting the city boundaries and entering a technophobe area of the countryside. Good riddance.

 

“What did you do to those boys?” Hayes whispered, tone flat and neutral. 

 

Clancy cocked his head, tilting it upwards, an arrogant and vicious glint appearing in his eyes. “Which boys? Ah. Those ones at the amusement park. I merely implanted a suggestion into their minds. It’s hardly my problem if they decided to use their powers to kill anyone in their path and then themselves. They may or may not get caught in the process but they’ll at least cause enough damage to make everyone scared of us, as they should be.

 

“Good.”

 

“Anyway, we don’t need those _imbeciles_ in our paradise. Nico and I plan on creating a world where only those chosen would be safe and free from the outside world. I assume that you will be joining us, Hayden.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Clancy opened the glove box and tossed a poorly wrapped parcel toward Hayes. His eyes watched, through the rear-view mirror, a grin spread on Hayes’ suddenly animated face. He eagerly tore through the wrapping which revealed a can of tuna and some pens. Nico had actually taken that can of food from their last-resort stash because he remembered how Hayes mention how he hadn’t eaten seafood in years. Clancy, himself, had picked up a few high-quality pens from his stay under his father’s supervision and decided that he needed to get rid of those reminders. It's such a shame that they weren’t able to give it to Hayes on his actual birthday. It would have been the perfect moment to have given Hayes his present after Nico and himself had exited the Ferris wheel. 

 

“It’s a bit late but Happy Birthday.”


	7. Chapter 7

With his hands on his hips, Nico stood in front of Hayes and Clancy. In the background, abandoned plants sprouted wildly in different directions and overgrew the nice neat patches that an agricultural family had once tended to. A moulded house with a cracked window and chipped paint unfriendly stood in the midst of the overrun garden. 

 

Nico looked equally refreshed and annoyed. “Okay. We need to get some ground rules straight. Clancy, communication is an important part of relationships. Tell us when you’re getting sick so we can plan around it and that way, you don’t collapse in the middle of nowhere.” Hayes’ snickers instantly drew Nico’s attention and glare. “We can’t afford any risks and incidences like what happened in the last town. So for that reason, you need to learn how to control your powers, Hayes.”

 

Hayes jumped up to his feet. “Hey! I know how to use my powers.”

 

“You don’t have a skilful mastery over your powers. A painter is able to paint in other ways than straight lines.”

 

“That was a weird analogy, Nico”, gently teased Clancy. “Anyway, your first task is to clean up this field and house in a week without using your hands.”

 

“Holy - I can’t do that!”

 

“That’s because you doubt yourself and your abilities. You need to break that barrier of doubt. If you can’t do it, then you’re just dragging us down.”

 

The dejection in Hayes’ expression almost made Nico feel guilty about forcing the Blue to hone his powers. But they couldn’t afford another hair-raising incident. Besides, Nico needed to work on his technology while Clancy wanted to check up on the latest news. Moreover, something has changed in Hayes. He used to whistle as they’d sped down in their van and the wind whipped through the open window, messing up their hair. Now, he’d despondently gaze outside and constantly sigh every so often. There were also the flinches and grimaces that would emerge whenever something startled Hayes. Plus, some glitches appeared in Hayes’ personality. Immediately after the incident, he would occasionally act in an obtuse…and delayed manner. He would forget simple words and idioms. There was even a moment when Hayes had forgotten how to use a spoon to feed himself. He’s getting better but it’s still slow going. Nico and Clancy had then both come to the agreement that the latter would only use his powers on Hayes as a last resort.

 

Perhaps this task would help Hayes. It would get him to use his brain to think about a problem and hopefully, rectify any damage done to his mind.

……

Nico glanced back at the foolish sight of Hayes waving his hands around in the hope that his powers would lift a boulder. He shook his head and closed the van door shut, entering in a world full of silence and machinery. His calloused and scarred hands moved deftly as they pulled apart salvaged pieces of technology, artistically used tools such as wire cutters to weave a masterpiece which only he knew its multiple purposes. In a comfortable environment, Nico and Clancy both worked on their own side projects as they waited for Hayes to produce some kind of result with the field. Clancy was swiftly typing on the computer that connected to the internet using the antenna on the roof of the car and encrypted computer program which Nico had set up. 

 

They were cutting it close with staying so close to an abandoned army base. However, the three of them had double-checked whether there was anyone dangerously close-by. Nico had switched on a sonar radar that he had made out of some spare parts that he had salvaged in a mechanics shop in the previous city while a handgun-wielding Clancy and an alert Hayes manually swept through the neighbouring bushes in the next hundred meters. After an hour of the constant beeping on the sonar, everyone really wanted to smash the bloody device into pieces even though it kept them safe.

 

“I meant what I said”, Clancy spoke, breaking the peace as his fingers continued flying across the keyboard and eyes rove over any current news. “Hayes is really dragging us down.”

 

“We need him though. A Blue’s powers will always come in handy.” Strange. Nico had thought that Clancy had gotten a bit closer to Hayes and accepted him as a member of their group. 

 

“That’s not what I meant”, agitatedly responded Clancy as his fingers ran through his hair. He wasn’t sure why he was acting so irrationally. He hoped that it wasn’t those dreaded teenage hormones. “If it wasn’t for Hayes, then we would’ve never been placed in such a precarious position with the Yellow - What did you call them? - ah, tribe. You could have been badly hurt if you had been at the control panel at the wrong time.”

 

Nico looked up from the mess of cables and microchips that he held in his grease-stained hands, making eye contact with Clancy. “Well. I’m fine though”, confusedly responded Nico as he placed his incomplete project away. “Things happen sometimes. Besides, if something were to happen to me or if we needed to part ways, Hayes would still be here to help you achieve your dream.”

 

Clancy’s hands reached out and painfully grasped Nico’s wrists. Nico cried out in pain and dismay as Clancy’s deranged eyes met his own, the dark mind of the Orange coming out to play. Clancy spat out as he rose one hand to tenderly caress Nico’s shivering cheek, “You’ll never leave me. I won’t let you. I’ll kill anyone who tries who get between us.” Something jagged, sharp like a razor, scrapped against Nico’s mind. It was different from the previous instances when tendrils hesitantly brushed against his mind whenever Clancy lost control of himself. 

 

“I wouldn’t…I made a promise, remember? Just like you made a promise to never ever try to use your powers in any shape or form on me”, responded Nico as he forced himself to lean into Clancy’s tense body. Nico’s tense muscles loosened when the rough grip on his hand slackened and the presence in his mind disappeared, leaving him with a minor throbbing headache. 

 

He hated whenever Clancy became like this. In this state, the Orange would always see Nico as a possession rather than a person. It had been a while since the last episode so he actually believed that the wounds in Clancy’s minds had healed already. The thought was too good to be true. Nico wrapped his arms around his fragile friend and hummed a little tune that he vaguely remembered his mother singing a long ago. Clancy’s distinct cinnamon and strawberry scent entered his nose, making Nico crave something sweet - maybe a lolly. 

 

“I like you, Clancy. No-one else but you”, affirmed Nico before he bit his lip and carefully chose his next words. “However, we need to open up to other people because we can’t let them see us look weak and broken.”

 

Clancy sighed and withdrew from the impromptu hug, leading Nico to feel strangely devoid of warmth. The insane light in Clancy’s eyes subsided for now. “I like you too. You ground me. I would only become a better person for your sake. Perhaps my thoughts about Hayes were a bit irrational and fuelled by my fear”, relented Clancy as he sheepishly shrugged his shoulders.

 

Something tightened in Nico’s stomach and a bitter taste entered his mouth. His hands trembled as he let courage take over his tongue. “I like you, Clancy and not in a platonic way.”

 

A painful silence sunk into the atmosphere after the confession. “Hahaha”, chucked Nico, embarrassment leeching the colour off his face. “We can just ignore -“

 

Soft lips smashed against Nico’s own, making both of their teeth painfully clang. Clancy instantly withdrew, then they both hissed in pain and chuckled before their lips connected once more as though they opened a dam full of repressed emotions which prevented them from pausing or stopping their make-out session. For once, the bubbling thoughts in Nico’s head stilled. His mind felt eerily empty all of a sudden.

 

“Oh,” Nico thought. A rush of joy caused his heart to beat faster in anticipation and lust flamed in his lower belly. “Oh.”

 

The ambience within the van was interjected with the pitter-patter of the rain outside. Nico suppressed a moan as Clancy started trailing nipping and mouthing down the other’s neck. Their tender embrace split apart when the van door suddenly slid open and Hayes appeared.

 

“Yo ho! I imagined to lift two meters worth of plant stuff”, chirped Hayes, eyes sparkling as he hopped inside their vehicle to get shelter from the rain. He tilted his head, confused as to why there was a flushed expression on both Nico and Clancy’s faces. Nico was curled up in a ball and Clancy had a tattered pillow in his lap for some reason. “Did something happen? Ah! Is there mosquito here? There’s a bug bite on your neck, Nico!”

.….

The wind whistled and the leaves of the swaying trees rustled. An unknown bird took flight, letting the air carry itself into the night sky. Nico shivered, even though his body was covered up with a thick woollen blanket. His eyes blinked and half-opened since a painful pressure from his bladder dragged him from his sweet dream. He rubbed his hands against his eyes, yawned and then stretched his arms. 

 

Hayes was on his back, shirt rose up to expose his belly to the world and his feet were tangled up in his blanket. A pool of drool was forming out of his mouth and a goofy smile was on his face as he mumbled in his sleep.

 

Clancy…was not here. 

 

Maybe he’s outside. He’s supposed to keep watch anyway.

 

Nico tucked Hayes back under his blanket and brushed the curls off his forehead before the Green slid the door open and tip-toed outside. The crescent moon above them weakly illuminated the forest around him. There was a faint flutter of wings and eerie whistle of wind that rustled the leaves that were briefly drowned out by the lonesome howl of a wolf in the distance. 

 

He still couldn’t see Clancy. However, there was a soft murmuring in the distance. It sounded like a male. Driven by curiosity, Nico took one step and then another until he was suddenly crouched behind a tree, hiding amongst the shadows. A quick peek revealed that the mysterious man was actually Clancy was conversing with someone on a mobile phone. Nico cupped his ear in the hopes that he would be able to listen to the conversation.

 

“ - That’s right. Yes. You have a valid point. No. No. If the situation changes, then I’ll allow you to enact your plan. Don’t get mad at me. You’ll take the fall if you blow your cover. I’m always right. I’m so glad that you agree with me.” 

 

Clancy paused for an extended period, probably waiting for the other person to finish speaking their part. Guilt trickled into Nico’s brain. He shouldn’t be eavesdropping on Clancy. There should be some sort of trust and respect for each other in this currently undefined relationship that they have with each other. Nico made a single step away from Clancy before he heard something that caught his attention.

 

“So essentially, Project Jamboree is succeeding but extraction will have to wait until three more years? I can’t afford to wait that long. Things are getting more and more dangerous for our kind every passing day. The camps are also becoming more hostile toward the top tier powers. Yes….Not yet. Trust me. I would have gotten rid of Father if I was able to. Don’t worry. I’ll handle my part of the deal. You just need to worry about your end.”

 

“Project Jamboree? What’s that?” thought Nico.


End file.
